One of the major storylines underlying this offseason for the Los Angeles Chargers was Quentin Johnston's looming fifth-year option.
That saga came to an end before it had really even begun last week, with the Chargers picking up Johnston's final year on his rookie deal. He'll be owed roughly $18 million in 2027, while he'll be paid the standard $4.5 million for 2026. Although the Los Angeles front office has made their hopes for Johnston clear over the past couple of seasons, there was some uncertainty here.
He's shown flashes of star-level production, but his inconsistencies made it far from guaranteed that the Chargers would be willing to commit the full $18 million to him in the final year of his contract.
But the deal is done, and Los Angeles now has a clear mandate. The next two seasons will be 'prove-it' campaigns for the TCU product, and the Chargers must find a way to grant him consistent opportunities as they continue to build out their receiving corps.
Quentin Johnston must get his full share of opportunities over the next two seasons
Chargers fans have had their fair share of frustrations with Johnston during his tenure in Los Angeles. Early on in his career, he struggled mightily with drops and inconsistencies in his production. At the start of 2025, it appeared that he had finally found his footing. Across the Chargers' first four games, he amassed 337 yards and four touchdowns on 22 receptions, beginning the campaign as the undeniable alpha receiver in Los Angeles.
After that, though, he largely disappeared. In part due to a hamstring injury that kept him out of Week 6 and in part due to the emergence of Tre' Harris within the offense, Johnston's opportunities declined. Between Weeks 5 and 13, Johnston posted just 188 yards and 18 receptions.
His resurgence at the end of the season left room for optimism, however. Across his final two games (he sat out the Week 18 matchup with the rest of the starters), Johnston grabbed 13 receptions for 202 yards and a touchdown.
Los Angeles will have some decisions to make on their offensive hierarchy in 2026. Keenan Allen's future is still uncertain, and they brought Brenen Thompson into the fold in the NFL Draft. It's also widely expected that both Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith are slated to take on larger roles in their sophomore campaigns.
If Johnston isn't playing at the level of an alpha receiver, some of his targets should be distributed among the rest of the offense. But Los Angeles has left themselves in a position where, even if Johnston leaves after the expiration of his contract, it's in their best interest to inflate his value as much as possible.
They must do everything in their power, therefore, to ensure he gets consistent opportunities within Mike McDaniel's offense if they want his $18 million option to ultimately be worth the price of admission.
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